New Delhi: Elections to the three proposed municipalities slated for April and subsequent setting up of the new civic bodies will be top priority for Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit this year.
Dikshit, who played a pivotal role in pushing for trifurcation of the civic body, said completing the whole process of splitting the MCD -- one of the largest municipal bodies in the world -- would be a major task ahead of her government. "Municipal elections and completing the process of trifurcation of the MCD would be the top priority," Dikshit said when asked about her priorities in 2012.
The Delhi government on Thursday last had notified the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act 2011 paving way for holding the municipal polls for three new municipalities splitting the MCD, which had come into existence on April 7, 1958 under an Act of Parliament. A special session of the Delhi Assembly had passed the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill on December one following which it was sent to President Pratibha Patil for her assent. The government had received the Presidential assent to the bill early last week.
The splitting of the MCD, currently being ruled by BJP, has been seen as Dikshit`s hold over Delhi Congress as despite stiff opposition from a section of her own party, she went ahead with the proposal which was first endorsed by top leadership of AICC and then cleared by Home Ministry.
As per the Act, MCD will be split into North, South and East Delhi municipal corporations and 50 per cent of total 272 seats will be reserved for women as against current 33 per cent. While the North and South Delhi bodies will have 104 wards each, the civic body in East Delhi will have 64 wards.
The officials said government will now start the process of setting up a directorate of municipal services which will carry out the groundwork for splitting the MCD into three smaller bodies and later coordinate functioning of the three municipalities.
They said said State Election Commissioner Rakesh Mehta has also started the process of selecting the wards to be reserved for women and scheduled caste candidates. Mehta is expected to finalise the process in a week`s time.
The directorate of municipal services will be controlled by the Delhi government and it would coordinate functioning of the three new bodies.
PTI